WARNING! This chapter is EXTREMELY dark, scary, and tense. Trigger warning! I made sure to not leave a big cliff hanger so no one has a heart attack, but this is a very tough read. Just remember, I'll never let our girls suffer a terrible fate. Hang on, this one is a doosy.
The anticipation and anxiety was thick as they walked trough the gates of the White Castle. Emma stuck close to Regina who was extremely vulnerable without her carriage. She advised the guard to stay alert as their caravan moved slowly through the courtyard.
It was nearly a ghost town. The market was empty, goods left rotting for what seemed like days. A few goats and horses wandered around alone, scavenging for food. The few people who were in the courtyard went scurrying away when the guard approached. In the gallows swung five bodies, hoods over their heads hiding their identities.
Emma was immediately worried. Although poor and down on it's luck, this market was bustling the last time Emma was here. Surely the task force that Regina had sent would have helped keep things going until Regina showed up? Regina had sent a raven ahead to let them know she was coming, so you'd think they would have at least tried to spruce things up for her arrival. It just wasn't right.
Regina knew something was wrong. How could things have changed so drastically since she was here last?They dismounted and her guard assembled behind her as she pushed open the door to the throne room. The room was empty, save for the throne at the end of the long hallway.
Emma had her hand on the hilt of her sword, and looked to see the other guards did as well. She followed Regina as they approached the throne.
Regina had sent one of her most trusted advisors, Marco, to the White Kingdom. As she approached the throne she was a bit relieved to see him sitting there. It wasn't until she got close enough to see that his eyes were fixed. He was still.
"Marco?" Regina asked quietly. Regina startled as King Robert walked out from behind the throne with a smug smile.
"I'm afraid he didn't make it," Robert said as he put his hand on Marco's shoulder, pushing him off the throne. As his body hit the floor, Emma saw a dagger sticking out of his back.
Emma immediately drew her sword and heard the other guards do the same. A clanking sound behind them drew her attention, and she saw dozens of Gold soldiers come filing into the throne room. Emma pulled Regina toward her and the guard formed a circle around her. They were at full alert, squeezing their hilts tightly as they glared at the Gold soldiers surrounding them.
They were vastly outnumbered, and Emma knew they didn't stand a chance if they had to fight their way out of this. Once the Gold soldiers were in place around the group, Emma looked over to see Robert walking forward. She felt Regina's hand on her shoulder, pushing Emma to the side.
"Your highness, no," Emma begged.
"It's alright," Regina assured as she stepped out of the protective circle and towards King Robert. "Just what in the hell is going on here?" Regina's voice boomed at Robert.
"Well, I should think it's quite obvious," he stated as he twirled his cane. "You left the White Castle vulnerable. Since you decided not to relent your hold even though it is rightfully MINE...I decided to take it myself."
Regina looked down at the slain Marco and swallow. "Where is the rest of my men?"
"Oh...what...didn't you see them? Swinging in the gallows?"
Regina gritted her teeth and shook her head. "You bastard."
"I'd be careful, dearie. You're hanging by a frayed thread here," Robert warned. He sucked in a breath. "It was quite easy, actually. Those men you sent home that had surrendered? Wasn't too difficult to convince them that serving me was in their best interest;Serve me or die. I offered the same deal to your little task force. They refused, I'm afraid. See where their loyalty got them? I'll be offering you all the same deal eventually," Robert said slyly. "Wasn't I pleased the other day when a raven arrived, announcing you would be gracing us with your presence. I was sure to have a warm welcome waiting for you."
Regina gritted her teeth and raised her head up high. "So, what, I have to marry you or we'll all die?"
Robert stepped closer to her until he was uncomfortably inside her personal space. "I'm afraid that deal is off the table. Tell your men to put down their weapons." Regina just glared at him. "If they try to fight here, they'll all die. You know this."
Emma and the guards raised their swords and readied to fight. Regina thought for a moment. There were too many Gold soldiers. They would be slaughtered. All she could do was buy them some time and hope to be able to talk her way out of this. "Put them down," Regina called.
"Highness, no!" Emma rasped.
Regina looked Emma in the eyes, hoping the woman knew she was only trying to keep her safe. "Do it."
Emma frowned and shook her head, throwing her sword violently to the floor. The other guards followed, and Emma caught a fearful look on Phillip's face.
"Take them to the dungeon. I'll deal with them later," Robert said. The Gold soldiers moved in and started shoving the guards out the throne room door. When one roughly grabbed Emma's shoulder, Robert stopped him. "Not the captain. She stays."
Emma pushed the man's hand off her shoulder and glared at the King. She was thankful that she wasn't going to be dragged off, left to wonder about Regina's fate. At least for now she was still by her side to protect her anyway she could. The guard stayed just behind Emma and Regina, waiting for further instruction from the King.
Robert walked back to the throne, kicking Marco's crumpled body out of the way so he could sit down. "Now, it's just us, ladies." Emma and Regina both started getting creeped out. He looked back and forth between them with a pleased look on his face. "So lovely, both of you. One dark, one light, one a lady, the other a tomboy. So different, and yet, one just as beautiful as the other."
Regina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What do you want, Robert?"
"That's 'your majesty' to you," he barked. "Do you think I don't know about your tasteless little disgusting affair with the lovely captain here?" Regina swallowed and Emma's head dropped. "Tell me, Regina, did my brother know about your slutty infidelity?!"
Regina shook her head. "The captain and I were not involved when Leopold was alive. Besides, Leopold was so busy with his parade of whores in his bed, I hardly think he would have cared."
"I see. So you had him killed so you and the blonde slut could bed together?"
Emma's eyes flew up and tossed daggers at him.
"Snow killed, Leopold. Not me."
"Well, that remains to be seen. Regardless, this little sick affair of yours is unholy. Woman laying with woman...it's just not right. I believe this deviant impulse of yours can be righted, though-given the proper lessons."
Emma knew exactly where this was going and panicked. Her and Regina were completely vulnerable now with no weapons and no army. No one suffers as prisoners more than women did. Emma's mind was a flurry, trying desperately to figure a way out of this. She didn't feel the soldier step up behind her and crack her on the head with the hilt of his sword. Emma sunk to the ground, the echoing of Regina's scream disappearing into the blackness that consumed her.
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Emma's eyes blinked as slowly her consciousness returned. Her head bobbed slightly as she struggled to pick up her head. Finally she could feel heavy chains around her wrists. She tried to move her legs and found her feet bound together. Finally her eyes came into focus. She was sitting in a chair, feet tied with rope to the chair, her wrists chained to each other in iron handcuffs. She looked up to gain her bearings and her heart dropped to her feet. There was a large bed on front of her, Regina bound and gagged. Her arms were tied up to the posts on either side of the bed, and she was terrified.
Regina's chest was bobbing up and down quickly as she breathed heavily with fear. She tried to call out to Emma, but with the gag in her mouth, all that came out was a muffled cry. Her eyes were streaked with tears. Emma started pulling at her restrains frantically, but she had no way to free herself. Emma's attention was drawn as Robert stepped out of the shadows toward her. He dragged a dagger across her face and laughed.
"Look who's awake. Good. Now we can get started on your rehabilitation," he said as he walked over to the side of the bed.
"Get the FUCK away from her you sick bastard!" Emma cried as she saw the fear in Regina's eyes.
Robert laughed. "See, this is exactly why I didn't gag you. I want to hear your anguish and pain as I take your lover right in front of your eyes. You need to see that man and woman together, that is the way it should be!"
Emma was going crazy trying to get the restraints off, but it was no use. "Don't you fucking dare," she rasped out as hot tears streaked down her face. She saw Regina kicking and struggling against her own restraints. "If you even TOUCH her I will rip your goddam throat out!"
Memories crowded Emma's mind. Her being held down, clothes ripped from her body. The hot stench of a mans breath in her face. The helplessness and pain. There was no way she could sit here and watch Regina suffer the same fate.
Regina began kicking violently as Robert tried to grab her ankle. She was screaming, straining violently against her restraints.
"NO!" Emma cried out as Robert caught Regina's ankle and slipped a rope around it, securing it to the post at the foot of the bed. She struggled and swore as he did the same to the other leg. Regina was now spread eagle with no way to fight back.
Emma let out a strangled groan at the realization of what was about to happen. When Robert reached up and tore Regina's top, revealing her chest, Emma saw red. She took in a few sharp breaths as the blood vessels in her eyes popped, sending them blood shot. While Robert climbed on the bed to straddle a struggling Regina, Emma reached down and gripped her hand. With one bone crushing motion, she broke her thumb and shoved the flesh of it into her palm. With a grunt she pulled the restraint painfully over her broken hand. Ignoring the pain, she reached down and quickly undid the ropes around her ankles. She looked up to see Robert pawing and groping at a screaming Regina.
Like a bull seeing red, Emma launched herself from the chair and flew over the bed, tackling Robert to the floor. She landed on top of him and forearmed him in the face, sending blood flying. She hit him again and again, until his fsce was a bloody mess. She stood up, pulling him with her. She dragged his stunned body across the room to the stained glass window. With a battle cry, Emma swung them around for moment and let him go, sending him crashing through the window. Emma watched his screaming body tumble through the air until meeting the earth with a bouncing thud. Emma looked down in satisfaction before something at the castle wall drew her attention. It was Will and the Black Army. Emma sighed out in relief. She didn't know how they knew to come, but at the moment she didn't care. She spun around and undid Regina's closest restraint.
"It's alright, it's alright. You're safe now, you're safe." She pulled the gag off Regina before she moved to undo the rest. The sounds of Regina's sobs broke her into a thousand pieces.
"Emma! Emma!" Regina could barely speak through her sobs. She was still in shock, but so grateful that Emma was able to stop him before he had truly hurt her. As Emma released her last restraints, she dove into the blonde's embrace and buried her face, sobbing.
Emma held tightly onto the queen, wincing at the pain in her hand. She gently stroked down Regina's hair, rocking them slightly. "It's okay, baby. You're safe now. I've got you. I've got you."
Emma just held onto the queen and sighed, thankful that she had been able to spare Regina the pain she nearly endured. No one knew better than Emma the kind of scars assault like that left. She listened as swords clanged and battle ensued below, confident that they had been rescued. Emma kissed Regina on the head, and thought about how close she was to losing her. With another deep breath she held tighter, allowing tears to streak down her face.